Who You Were Born to Be
by xoxoMandieRosexoxo
Summary: On the day of Sarah's wedding, she finds herself longing for her childhood more than ever. The dwellers of the Underground have remained silent for years...until now. As Sarah finds herself in a simple hedge maze, she discovers a terrible secret and finds a certain Goblin King waiting to comfort her and show her who she was truly born to become. Current one shot, may expand if r
1. The Labyrinth

**Who You Were Born to Be**

It had been years since she had worn a white gown of this grandeur.

_Ten long years..._ Sarah thought as she gazed at her reflection in the full length mirror—her emerald eyes taking in the sight before her. The collection of silks, satins, lace, and tulle all woven together to create the wedding gown cascading to the floor. The straps that fell off her pale shoulders were embroidered with sequins and crystals. Her made up eyes stared back at her and atop her head, like a petite crown, was a collection of white roses in place of a veil.

Today was her wedding day—the day that every young girl fantasizes about, the day that every young woman plans for. Well... almost every girl. In her youth, Sarah's mind was not riddled with wedding cakes and the possible bride's maid candidates among her friends. While the girls in her high school were dreaming of the boys in their classes, Sarah was busy dreaming up magical worlds filled with wonder and danger. Her stuffed animals, costumes, and books replaced the excitement that fashion, make up, and boys brought to other girls her age.

She had never thought of the boys in her life in that manner—her head was usually flying high… her thoughts elsewhere. It wasn't until that fateful night when she was fifteen years old that she discovered the power that a boy—or rather, a man—could have on her. A foolish, reckless wish had brought him into her life—his mismatched eyes, his deep, smooth voice, his cocky stance that belonged only to a king. A wish had brought him to her and a few simple words had cast him out of her life as quickly and magically as he had come.

She had changed. He had changed her. For better or for worse.

It had been ten years to the day. At times it felt like it had dragged on for an eternity and yet it had passed in nothing more than the blink of an eye, and now, here she was—twenty five and ready to start a new chapter in her life.

She had not been searching for love—if anything else she had avoided it, now knowing the pain it could bring her. She had gone from a child, nothing more than a brat to a young woman who was quiet and accepted the life that she had all in a single night. She had graduated from high school with no more friends than she had starting her education and she had made it through college without too many mishaps. Occasionally, she would feel a pair of eyes peering at her back only to turn and find herself to be alone. There were several times when she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye—something that looked just like a goblin. One of _his_ goblins.

She met John in her senior year of college. He had pursued her and wooed her, acting like nothing short of a gentleman ripped out of one of Sarah's romance novels. He was only a few inches taller than Sarah with short black hair and a pair of brown eyes that seemed to always smile down at her. He was not necessarily the most attractive man to ever grace the planet but his loving personality had drawn the girl to him. He was kind to her and seemed to want to make her truly happy. There were no coarse words escaping him like the boys from her high school, no inappropriate and disgusting movements and gestures like the other young men of the university, and no patronizing, overconfident grins like _him._

Sarah had not been looking for love but it appeared to have found her, itself.

That had been three years ago—the day she and John had met—and now here she was, about to make herself Sarah Douglas.

A shiver ran down her spine as she felt that all too familiar feeling. Someone was in the room watching her.

Sarah spun around, eyes wide with anticipation just as her step-mother opened the door, a smile on her face.

"Karen," Sarah sighed in relief. Ever since that night ten years ago, she and Karen had started over and began to have a relationship that a mother and daughter aspire to have.

"Sarah," Karen closed the door behind her before walking over to where Sarah stood before the mirror. "You look so beautiful. A real life fairy tale princess!" she joked, both of the women thinking back to Sarah's obsession with the stories and tales within her books. "Are you ready?" she whispered with a reassuring squeeze on Sarah's shoulders.

"Karen," Sarah hesitated. She was afraid to utter her trepidations aloud in fear that upon hearing them would make them all the more real.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" Karen spun her step-daughter around to look at her. She raised her hand to Sarah's flushed cheeks, wiping away a tear. "You're make up is going to run, if you don't stop," again, she tried to joke, hoping to raise Sarah's spirits.

"Karen, I..." Breathing in deeply and slowly for a moment, she tried to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"What do you mean, Sarah?" Karen's brow furrowed in concern.

"I mean, am I doing what's right for me? I've never dated anyone other than John. How do I know if he's 'the one'? What if he's not the one I'm supposed to be with? What if—"

"Sarah," Karen hushed the flustered bride. "You can't really think that there's only one person in the world for you?" She smiled for a moment before she realized, "Do you?"

Suddenly feeling foolish, Sarah whispered through her nervous tears, "Well I did until about thirty seconds ago..."

"Sarah, you really truly believe that God put only one other person in the world made just for you?" Karen asked as she sat down in one of the overstuffed arm chairs in the country club's room.

"I would like to think so," Sarah slowly began to wipe her tears away, hoping that with them, her fears would also vanish.

"I blame those stories of yours," Karen muttered more so to herself than Sarah. "Sarah, life is not like one of your fairy tales. There is no love at first sight or true love and there is certainly not only one man in this world that can make you happy. Okay?"

When Sarah didn't answer her, Karen rose to her feet, lifting Sarah's chin up so she could look into her step-daughter's eyes. "John is just one of the possible men that were made to love you and make you happy. I met your father after he had already married your mother. Love is much more complicated than just two people seeing each other and instantly falling in love. Don't worry yourself about this. John makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"Yes."

"He loves you, right?"

"Right."

"You love him."

Sarah paused for a moment before she breathed, "Yeah."

"So what are you so worried about?" Karen laughed as she pulled Sarah into a hug. "Now come on," she spun Sarah around to look at herself in the mirror again, "let's fix that makeup before John sees you and runs away screaming."

"Very funny," Sarah rolled her eyes.

Karen couldn't help but laugh. It had been years since she had seen Sarah roll her eyes at her—in a way, she had missed it.

As Karen moved from touching up Sarah's makeup to playing with her hair and adding a bit more hairspray to the loose curls that were rolling down Sarah's back, Karen whispered:

"Well at least you don't talk to yourself in the mirror anymore—I'm sure John would have just loved that." She smiled at Sarah, hoping to pull some laughter out of her.

But Sarah's eyes widened as she looked up to Karen's reflection in the mirror. "Wh—what do you mean?"

Sarah's nervous reaction caused Karen to look at her. "Nothing. I was joking, sweetie!"

"What did you mean?" Sarah begged, her eyes wide.

"When you were younger... I would just hear you talking to yourself in your room a lot. I didn't think it was too big of a deal. You were much more open and friendlier to Toby. You were only fifteen or so… Sarah," she paused, hoping to get her point across. "I was joking."

Sarah was no longer listening to Karen's chatter as her mind raced back in time in a wild frenzy. Back to a time when some of her innocence had been stolen. Back to when she was only fifteen. She would gaze into her mirror in her room, her pale yet beautiful face surrounded by photos of her mother, and she would call out:

_Hoggle? I need you Hoggle..._

And there they would be—Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. At first, they would appear in her room. She could touch them, hug them, talk to them for hours on end. As the years went on, their ability to appear became feeble and soon they could only appear to her from beyond her mirror. They grew fainter and fainter until even their comforting voices could no longer reach her. It had been years since she had seen or heard from any of them and she had begun to try and convince herself that it had been nothing more than a dream. A magical, wonderful dream.

"Sarah?" A voice pulled her from deep within her past.

Sarah and Karen looked to see a pair of big, bright blue eyes peak around the door.

"Toby," Sarah smiled as the ten year old boy ran into his sister's open arms.

"You look so pretty, Sarah," her brother smiled at her. Sarah wrapped her arms tight around the boy—her precious baby brother.

She let the boy go and held him at arm's length and observed. "And look at you, my little Mr. Man!" She looked at the mop of golden curls on top of his head, his blue eyes, the little tuxedo that appeared too big on him, and his black converse sneakers. "So handsome."

"Are you guys ready?" He looked up to his mother. "Everyone is here."

"We'll be ready in a few minutes, Toby," Karen ruffled her son's hair and sent him back out of the room. "Sarah," she turned to the bride to-be. "Are you ready?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment. She needed to stop living in the past. The dwellers of the Underground had let her be—they were allowing her to live the life she was born to live. The life she had been living before the mistake she had made that night. She was born to meet John and marry him. She would leave her whimsical childhood behind her and live the life that young women everywhere dreamed of.

"Yeah," she declared, her chin raised in what she hoped to be confidence. "I'm ready."

Sarah found herself to be holding her breath as her father escorted her down the aisle. The sun was shining and the birds seemed to sing a symphony composed just for her. She looked to her left and right—the multitude of John's friends and family and the small collection of Sarah's few acquaintances and family members. She frowned for a moment as she thought of her mother who could not be in attendance due to the fact that she was in the middle of filming a movie. She looked up to her cousin, Candace acting as her Maid of Honor, looking picture perfect with her brown hair piled up on top of her head, the pink dress fitting her perfectly. Sarah suddenly felt self conscious around the girl. Even her wedding dress didn't fit her just right with her wide hips and thin midsection. But all of Sarah's nerves melted away as John's smile fell upon her.

She heard nothing of the preacher's sermon on love. She continued to smile at the man that she was about to wed. His large, rough hands held tightly onto hers, squeezing throughout the ceremony, his smiling eyes meeting hers. Never breaking his gaze, he answered the preacher's rehearsed question with a confident, "I do."

"And do you, Sarah Williams, take this man, John Douglas, to be you lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward? For better, for worse, for rich, for poor? In sickness and in health? 'Til death do you part?"

Sarah smiled up at John, her questions and doubts seemingly washed away.

"I—" Her eyes snapped up to the tree just beyond John and the rest of the groom's party. Widening in horror, her eyes took in the sight before her. A single, solitary barn owl sat perched on one of the branches of one of the massive trees that surrounded the ceremonial area. _Oh God... _she silently cursed. _No!_

"Miss Williams?"

"Sarah," John squeezed her now quivery hands. "Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm..." She dared to raise her eyes to the branch again to see that it was empty. "I'm fine. I'm so sorry. Where were we?"

"You were about to say, 'I do.'" John smiled down at her.

"Right! Sorry!" She could feel the blush flood her cheeks as she whispered, embarrassed, "I do."

"I know pronounce you, man and wife!" the preacher proclaimed. "Mr. Douglas, you may now kiss your bride."

John gently placed his hands on Sarah's cheeks and lightly pressed his lips against hers. As quickly as the kiss had began, he pulled back, leaving Sarah wanting more. As wedding kisses go, she deemed it to be somewhat anticlimactic. _No big deal, _Sarah thought as the Preacher presented her and John as Mr. and Mrs. Douglas. _We've still got tonight._

The reception was on the grounds of the country club. The tables were lit up by Japanese paper lanterns that hung above them. There was a DJ and a dance floor that remained empty as the songs continued to be the usual pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Trees surrounded most of the party with a large hedge creating a wall behind the table where the bride and groom sat.

"What was with that today?" John leaned over to whisper in Sarah's ear.

"What?"

"With the vows? What happened there? Did you forget your line?" He mocked jokingly.

"No, of course not. I just," she sighed, resigned. "I just thought that I saw someone I used to know."

"At the ceremony?"

"Yeah. But it's not a big deal, it was nothing," Sarah rushed to sip from her champagne glass hoping to end the conversation.

"If you say so," he pushed the chair back and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, looking up at him.

"I'm going to mingle with the guests—it's what a host does."

"Oh," she whispered. They had sounded sweet but the words had been meant to hurt.

"I'll be back." He smiled as he tweaked her nose. She hated that. It made her feel like he saw her to be nothing more than a child.

"Okay."

Sarah counted the number of glasses of champagne in front of her, each one of them empty. It had been over an hour since John had left her and only a few of her family members had come over to her, giving her their well wishes and congratulations. Luckily, Toby became her saving grace, as the champagne was running dry.

"Hey, guess what Sarah?" He sat down in John's seat next to his big sister.

"What?" she asked, smiling for, quite possibly, the first time all night.

"You see that?" His small finger pointed to the hedge behind her.

"Yes."

"Guess what it is?" He smiled.

"It's a bush."

"No!" The boy jumped up and whispered in her ear, "It's a labyrinth!"

"What?"

"You know that little red book you used to read all the time?"

"How do you—"

"It's true! Come with me!"

The boy grabbed his sister's hands and pulled her up from her seat. There was a bounce in his step from the excitement he couldn't hide.

"This way!"

"Toby," Sarah muttered, suddenly feeling some of the champagne from the night.

"You'll like it, I promise! I already went through it!" His chest puffed up in pride.

"What? You went through the labyrinth?" Unnecessary fear filled her chest as she thought back to the monstrous maze she had fought her way through so many years ago.

"Yeah," he looked at his sister, confused. "It's super easy. Come on," he pulled her along. "The entrance is over here."

Allowing her brother to lead her away from the party, Sarah found herself standing at the mouth of the labyrinth. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as the one she had wandered through but it was still filled with darkness and shadows as the sun continued to set behind the trees.

Sarah stopped short of the hedges, pulling Toby back as well.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking up at his sister. "Sarah?"

"Toby, go back to the party," Sarah whispered.

"But—"

"Go!"

The boy, confused and hurt, slowly walked back to the loud music of the party leaving Sarah alone in the dark. Beneath the distant music she heard something that she didn't want Toby to see... something she didn't want to see. Picking up the hem of her wedding gown, she silently crept to just beyond the mouth of the maze. Giggles, muffled squeals, and the sound of lips smacking met her ears as she turned the first corner.

"John?"

The couple cloaked in the darkness came into view as they jumped away from one another. Sarah's cousin, Candace was fixing her top and trying to cover the smeared lipstick across her face. Sarah's husband, John, began trying to tuck his shirt back into his pants and trying to come up with something to say.

"J—John?" Sarah's voice quivered as her eyes filled with tears for the second time that day.

"Sarah, I—"

"What have you done?" She screamed out—horrified, hurt, and ashamed. "How could you?"

"Sarah," John reached out, slowly to touch her as she began to back away. "Sarah, listen to me," he whispered as his hand wrapped around Sarah's wrist, pulling her to him.

"No!" she screamed out. "Don't touch me! Just get away from me..."

"Sarah!"

She turned on her heel and began to run. The cries of her husband and cousin were lost in the thundering sound of her heart being ripped into pieces, being scattered across the labyrinth. She lifted her white gown high above her knees and let her legs carry her. To where she was uncertain. But they had never betrayed her before—she trusted them. Deeper and deeper into the labyrinth she ran until she could no longer hear the noise from the reception. The darkness filled the labyrinth, making it impossible to decipher which way was right or wrong. And yet Sarah continued to run. She ran from her past. She ran from her future. She ran from the people she loved and those that she hated.

As Sarah's mind grew numb and her lungs began to protest, something caught her foot causing her to fall to the ground in a blur of white lace and tears. She lay there, dazed.

_Even if you get to the center of the Labyrinth, you'll never get out again..._

"Hoggle..." Sarah cried out softly.

Her reality had become much too painful for her to bear, so she decided to slip into the dream world that she had created for herself long ago. A place filled with magic and wonder. Where everything was possible. Where she was invincible. Where no one could hurt her. No one.

Her eyes closed and her world grew dark as peace finally fell on her.

No sooner had she escaped deep within her thoughts, than someone appeared beside her. Dressed head to toe in black, he was a sight to behold. A pair of black boots donned his feet. Tight black pants clung to his slim, yet muscular form. A loose black shirt revealed a hairless chest and showed just how strong he truly was. Black gloves covered his hands and a pendant resembling a crescent moon hung around his neck. A loose robe draped over his shoulders, blowing in the silent wind. His mismatched eyes—one brown and one blue—gazed down at the woman who had once been a force to be reckoned with.

Within the silence of the labyrinth, his soft, deep voice whispered her name as if it were more precious than a prayer.

"Sarah..."


	2. Welcome Back, Sarah

**You wanted it... and you got it. The story continues!  
**

* * *

**Welcome Back, Sarah**

Sarah lay still, her world still full of darkness. She could hear the faint whispers and murmurs from beyond her slumber.

_Too much champagne..._ she thought to herself as she rolled onto her side. He fingers ran through the smooth silk blanket that was coiled around her. _Silk?_ As the darkness before her eyes began to fade, her thoughts aligned before her, causing her eyes to snap open.

Her gaze fell upon the deep crimson silk comforter that lay on top of her. From the corner of her eye she could see that she had been sleeping in a grand four poster bed carved out of what appeared to be something like red mahogany with a black canopy. Before her was a gothic styled window that stood from stoned floor to white marble domed ceiling. Dark curtains hung, billowing down to the floor, allowing the smallest patch of sunlight to shine through. The piece of sky that Sarah could make out was—oh _God, no!—_a deep, dark orange.

"The Underground…" It was not a question but an acknowledgement. A curse.

The hushed murmurs continued behind her, reminding Sarah that was not alone. Shutting her eyes tight and breathing deeply she wished that this was nothing but a dream—a nightmare. But as the muttering grew louder and the sun through the dark curtains grew brighter, Sarah knew that, alas, it was not to be.

Slowly, hoping to find the courage that she once possessed, she rolled over to see the source of the idle chatters.

A dozen goblins stared back at her, their eyes wide with both tentative fear and wonderment. Trying to control her ever rapid breaths, Sarah's eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the sight before her. Some were tall and slender while others were short and plump. Each wore a helmet and filthy rags that Sarah assumed to be their clothes. As her green eyes moved down the line, each goblin appeared more horrible and terrifying than the last. As her eyes fell to the last one who appeared to be nothing more than a dust bunny with eyes and a helmet, her vision grew blurred as tears began to flow down her, now, flushed cheeks.

Without any warning, a scream escaped her trembling lips as she rolled over, once more, trying to block out the dozens of eyes watching her.

"This can't be happening," she assured herself through her sobs. Fear chilled her body to the core. She had finally accepted that everything—the Underground, the Labyrinth, her friends... _Him—_was nothing more than a dream. A fantasy created by her over active imagination and her belief that she was better than everyone around her… born for something more than the monotonous life Earth had granted her. It had been one night, only thirteen hours—it had only been a dream. Right? Nothing more...

Sarah did not know how much time passed while she cried and tried to assure herself that she had fallen into a drunken dream caused by the nerves of her wedding day. As her eyes seemed to run dry and her face was soaked in salt tears, Sarah dared to peak behind her back. The goblins were gone and in their place a neatly folded pile of clothes.

Not wanting to continue to lay in bed and wanting to find her way out of this place and back home, Sarah slowly got up, her head banging from either the tears or last night's alcohol—Sarah did not know.

Her, now, bare feet lightly slapped against the cold stone floor as she carefully made her way over to a vanity that stood opposite the bed she had been laying upon.

It was larger than her vanity back home. _Home... _Sarah thought as she felt her heart ache. It held a gold rimmed mirror that reflected her wide eyed, tear stained face. There were drawers with golden handles that ran beneath the table top. She only needed to open one to know what sort of secret treasures they held—ornate hair pieces that shimmered with gold, silver, and a multitude of precious jewels... some she had never even seen before. Inhaling a shallow, shuttering breath Sarah's eyes fell upon one of the treasures on the table beside the soaps, perfumes, and brushes—a crown. A dainty crown lined with crystals as white and pure as a dove. These sorts of treasures could only be found among royalty.

Sarah's eyes looked up to her reflection once more as she finally summoned up the courage tothinkhis name after ten long years.

_Jareth._

* * *

"She's awake," the Goblin King's mismatched eyes opened slowly. He lounged upon his thrown looking like a child as bored as can be. His goblins stared at him, waiting. Would he give them an order? Kill the girl, perhaps? She was, as far as they could remember**, **their enemy.

_They're afraid of her..._ he smiled to himself. _Good. That means they'll stay away from her._

From midair, Jareth pulled one of his crystals into his hand and stared into the depths of it. The image was small and somewhat blurred, as they always were. But it had been years since he had gazed at her in the confines of his crystal prism.

"Sarah..."

She appeared to be upset. Jareth laughed. He was certainly not surprised about that. He had expected that reaction from her. His eyes watched her as she turned away from her reflection in the mirror and began to wander around the room, exploring.

"Forever the curious little girl, aren't you?"

"Sire?" a squeaky voice sounded from the horde of goblins in the filthy throne room. Every eye in the room was upon him as they waited for their king to give them an order on how to deal with their new guest.

Throwing his leg down from the arm of his throne, the Goblin King stood before his loyal subjects.

"The girl," he declared in a crisp, booming voice, "is not to be touched in anyway. If I see any of you so much as give her a scratch, it'll be to the bog with you!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" cried out a chorus as the goblins bowed and groveled.

"Now go!" Jareth waved his hand. "Find something useful to do."

As the goblins ran into one another, trying to leave the throne room, Jareth turned back to the crystal that he held tightly in his hand.

"Oh, Sarah," he sighed as he continued to watch the girl in her room. A pain suddenly filled his chest, causing him to clutch at his heart. He knew it would be painful. "What am I going to do with you?"

* * *

Sarah turned from the grandiose vanity filled with treasure fit for a Queen to look at the rest of the room that appeared to be hers.

_Don't think like that,_ she reminded herself, shaking her head. _You are_ not _staying here._

The room seemed to have been built out of white marble making it appear like a small chapel. Sarah scoffed at that. _This is no sanctuary._ Nothing hung on the walls—it was a relatively simple room with just the bed, vanity, and a large wardrobe. Sarah walked over to the wooden doors, her feet sliding over the throw rug that was made out of some furry creature's hide. The doors of the wardrobe looked to be carved from the same wood that her bed was from. It was a deep red that bordered on a rich, smooth brown. On its face was a carving of what Sarah assumed to be some moment in the Underground's history. She could make out the Labyrinth itself, a mountainous forest, and a man and woman standing hand in hand between the two different scenes surrounded by a crowd of goblins and creatures that Sarah, herself, had not encountered on her journey through the Underground. She ran her fingers over the dress belonging to the young woman in the scene. A flashing white light appeared before her eyes and a pair of mismatched eyes appeared in her mind's eye as she pulled her hand back as if she had been shocked.

"Okay..." Confused, Sarah grasped the golden handles and pulled the doors wide open. Sarah gasped in awe as she stared at what the wardrobe contained. The large closet was filled with garments—capes and gowns of every color imaginable. Silks and satins, tulle and linens, furs and even feathers. She slowly raised her hand up as she stared at the clothes before her. She ran her hand down the line of garments, her sense of touch running wild as the strange variety of fabrics slid beneath the palm of her hand.

After she examined each of the elaborate gowns, Sarah marched over to the large window and threw away the drapes, drowning the room in the warm sunlight. Looking down from the window she could see out over the Goblin City and the whole Labyrinth. In the distance, if she squinted her eyes, Sarah could make out a horizon rigid with a mountain range.

"The Labyrinth looks so small from here," she whispered as she looked at her eyes in her reflection in the window pane.

"But I'm sure you know first-hand how grand it really is," a cool voice said from just behind her. Sarah's eyes searched the reflection in the window to find a pair of oh so familiar eyes meeting hers in the glass's reflection.

Her heart suddenly trying to burst forth from her chest, Sarah spun around and faced the man from her nightmares. "You."

"Yes," A wicked smile danced across his face, not reaching his eyes. He slowly closed the space between himself and Sarah, causing her to lean as far back as she could against the window, wishing to escape from the hold his gaze had her in. "Me." He placed a hand on either side of her and leaned down to look her in the eye.

Sarah prayed that her eyes concealed just how quickly her heart was beating. He was so close. _Too close,_ she shuddered. He never did understand the meaning of "personal space."

He continued to stare down at her as a million different thoughts swirled through her mind, each question just dying to be answered. But before she could utter the first of many, the man before her turned away.

"Get dressed and meet me in the throne room. You're an absolute mess." And with that the man who had haunted Sarah for the past ten years disappeared through the door.

She looked down at herself. Her once pristine and beautiful wedding gown was now wrinkled and covered in grass stains and dirt.

"Well at least he didn't try to change my clothes," she muttered to herself as she walked back over to the pile of clothes upon the bed.

After struggling to unbutton the ungodly amount of buttons up the back of her dress, Sarah slipped out of the dress, allowing it to crumple to the floor. Suddenly feeling exposed, she was thankful that she had worn a conservative pair of panties and bra. For all she knew, he was watching her in one of his crystals. "Pig..." she spat as she held up the dress that had been left for her. She gasped as she recognized it from long ago. It was a simple white dress that fell to the floor. It was a pale white color with long angel sleeves and a leather tie up the chest. She had worn it on that fateful night ten years ago. Where did this come from?

Not wanting her brain to go on overload from everything that was happening to her, she simply accepted the fact that her old dress (or an exact copy) had found its way to the Underground... just like her.

As she pulled her, now, flat hair back into a pony tail at the nape of her neck, she took a final glance into the mirror. For how she had looked less than an hour prior, Sarah was surprised at how well she looked—at the very least, the dress fit her perfectly. Finding a pair of black slippers in the wardrobe, Sarah took one last calming breath before daring to open her bedroom door.

The last time she had been in the castle it had been completely deserted with all of the loyal goblins fighting in the city streets below—fighting her. She opened the door just enough to see what lay beyond in the hallway.

It was nowhere near as pristine as her room was with food, hay, and chicken feathers scattered along the stone floor. The once white walls were darkened with dirt and soot and the hall was filled with goblins scampering this way and that—none of them noticing the human gazing at them. Their curses and shouts filled her ears as she creaked the door opened farther.

"I can't believe Toby was here," she sighed in horror as she looked up and down the hall hoping to find some sign telling her which way the throne room lay.

"Gleck!"

Sarah turned to see the source of the shout. It was a tall gangly goblin that came up to Sarah's shoulders. His skin was a pale gray with boils and bumps along his arms. His eyes were nothing more than two slits hidden behind a pair of white bushy eye brows. His abnormally large nose appeared to be much too large for his long, slender face.

She then looked down beneath her to see a much smaller goblin staring up at her. She recalled him from earlier that morning as one of the goblins that had stood beside her bed watching her. He was a tiny, little thing completely covered in light brown fur. She could make out two small boney hands hidden among the hair. Sarah looked into his large, wide eyes that seemed to overpower his entire being—nothing but fear filled those red eyes. This one must be Gleck.

Unsure of what she was supposed to do, she allowed herself the faintest of smiles as she looked down at the little Gleck beneath her. Without the slightest warning, the tall goblin and several others ran forward and dragged Gleck away. As they marched down the hall she heard them scolding, "You know what his Majesty said!"

Deciding it was best to head in the opposite direction of the goblins and their scoldings, Sarah turned to her left hoping to find the throne room. As she slowly began to walk down the hall, avoiding the filth and grim that scattered the floor, the goblins parted for her, heads bowed. She paused for a moment, staring at them in confusion. The chaos and hubbub that she had witnessed from just beyond her door had vanished as the sea of goblins threw themselves against the walls, trying to get out of her way. Shaking off her sudden preconceived notions of the goblin's attitudes towards her, Sarah continued to slowly wander down the hall in silence.

Sarah wandered the endless halls aimlessly. She would walk down corridors that simply ended. She stumbled into a library with rows upon rows of leather bound books. She walked up and down countless stair ways until, at last, she decided that she was hopelessly and thoroughly lost.

Sighing dramatically, Sarah collapsed on one of the more maintained steps, part of it covered with a red velvet carpet. Wringing her hands together, she closed her eyes tight. She had surpassed the time when she had hoped that this was merely a dream—it was far too real to be just that. Sarah looked around her, eyes searching for a sign—anything—to point her in the right direction. Before she could realize what she was doing and stop herself she breathed, "I just wish I was in that damned throne room."

"Well, well," that cool voice mocked, a smile hidden behind the words.

Sarah jumped up from the step that she sat upon and spun around. Sure enough her wish had come true—he was standing in the doorway of the Goblin King's throne room with Jareth lounging on his throne smiling at her.

_I've got to watch those wishes..._ she silently reminded herself. She had forgotten that her wishes always seemed to come true while she was in the Underground.

She had thought that she had somehow accepted the fact that she was, indeed, back in the Underground. But as her eyes fell upon the man from her childhood—the Goblin King... Jareth—her legs began to grow weak and her head felt light. Trying to regain some of the control that she once had over her thoughts, Sarah clenched her fists causing her nails to cut deep into her palms.

"It's about time," the king said, oblivious to Sarah's raging emotions. Lazily, he pushed himself up from his stone throne and stared at Sarah, his hands on his hips.

Sarah's eyes finally got the chance to take in the man whom she had not laid eyes upon in ten years. He was certainly not dressed to the nines as he had been the last time she had seen him—a dream all dressed in white, as regal as only royalty could be. Instead he wore a pair of brown pants that fit his legs perfectly with black boots that reached up to just beneath his knees. A pair of his familiar gloves covered his long, elegant fingers while his pendant hung beneath the ruffles of his loose fitted black shirt. As she found herself looking into his mismatched eyes she noticed that there was a smile hidden just behind them. Looking down in shame she realized—he had seen her gazing at him... something she had not wanted to admit.

Slowly, he raised one of his gloved hands and beckoned her into the room. Unthinking—or perhaps powerless to disobey—Sarah found herself walking slowly into the large, open room. No sooner had she gasped as her legs began to move than she stood before his Majesty—King of the Goblins.

"Please," a faint beg echoed throughout the empty room.

He elegantly raised his brows in silent surprise at the girl's plea. "What is this?" he smiled venomously, revealing his sharp teeth. He dropped his hand, freeing Sarah from his powerful hold and began to make his way across the throne room and stood before her, filling her vision. "Cowering before me?" A flash of memory sparked behind his eyes. Perhaps she was more frightened of him than he had originally believed all those years ago.

"What's going on?" Her voice held a sudden courage in it though she knew her eyes revealed how terrified she truly was. "What am I doing here?"

"Are you so unhappy to see me, dear Sarah?"

She winced at the venom dripping from his kind words. She felt as though she were fifteen once more, begging him to bring her brother back as he stood in her parent's room on a dark and stormy night. He had spoken the same way to her then as he did now… as though she were a child.

She looked up to find the king staring at her with keen interest, a wicked smile on his face. She released the breath that she had been holding and released her hands from the balled fists they had been in. "No," she admitted to her own surprise. "I'm not unhappy. In fact, I'm thrilled."

"Are you now?" He narrowed his eyes; that had not been the answer he had been expecting from the fiery young girl who had lied and cheated her way through his Labyrinth.

"For a while now I thought I was crazy. I would think back to this," she sighed, gesturing to the throne room towering above them, "and try to tell myself that it wasn't real… that I had just dreamed it up. Toby couldn't remember anything—he was just a baby. I would call out, admit that I needed everyone still… and eventually no one answered anymore." She paused to look up at him, her eyes meeting his mismatched gaze. "No one." She looked away, her fingers nervously playing with the sleeves of her costumed gown. "I decided then that I must have just dreamed it all up." A smile appeared on her lips briefly before her eyes narrowed. "It's nice to know now that I wasn't completely crazy."

The king and his guest remained silent for some time, Sarah's feelings still hanging in the air. The sound of something crashing in the hall and the shouts of goblins brought Sarah back to her senses with a start, realizing who it was that she had just shared her heart with.

Taking a deep breath she turned to glare at the Goblin King who had not moved from his throne, his eyes still watching her intently… perhaps all this time.

"No more games, Goblin King," she demanded suddenly, her hands on her hips before stomping her way across the throne room to stand before him. Her anger had taken over any fear she had felt when she first laid eyes on the blond man before her—she had beaten him ten years ago and she could certainly do it again. "What am I doing here? I didn't wish to come here."

"Oh, you didn't?" He raised his brow and smiled at her as though he knew something that she did not.

"No, I didn't." Sarah shook her head, glaring at him. "As much as it might surprise you and your overabundance in confidence, I was able to move on from our little encounter. I was able to put it behind me and live my life to the fullest."

"Ah yes," he leaned his chin on his fist as he plucked a crystal ball from the air between them. Holding it out for her to see, he continued as images of the last ten years played out before Sarah's eyes, "Finishing your education in your little town with few—if any—friends only to move onto an academic realm some distance from your home to further your education just like every other mortal living in the Aboveground. Clearly, you are living up to your potential."

Sarah could feel her face grow red. "How dare you—"

"Tell me," Jareth stood up from his throne, pushing past the girl before turning to smile wickedly at her, "how is your dear John?"

"Have you been spying on me?" Sarah screamed as she moved to strike the king.

With a flick of his wrist she was pinned to the throne, the king leaning over her, his hands on each of the arms of the throne, trapping her beneath his wicked gaze. She tried to push away from him, but he was much stronger than her.

"Yes," he hissed in response to her question as he forced her to look up to him. "As a matter of fact, my dear Sarah," he spat her name, "I have."

Stepping back from her, he reached down and pulled her up to her feet with a tug. His hands still wrapped tightly around her wrist, Sarah realized that they no longer stood in the Goblin King's throne room. They were surrounded by stairways leading up, down, and all around. Flashes of memories sped past her mind's eye as she chased little Toby along the steps, losing her way to find herself face to face with the Goblin King time and again, each time offering her a crystal. Sarah quickly shook her head, wishing to rid herself of the thoughts as she looked up at the staircases once again, seemingly unchanged in the ten years that had passed.

Jareth released the girl from his grip, rubbing his hands together as though to rid himself of her touch. He continued on either oblivious or uncaring to the nostalgic look on her face, "I have watched you each and every day since the night you made it to the gates of my city."

"The night I beat you," Sarah added, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Please," he raised a hand to silence her, "don't flatter yourself."

She tilted her head to the side, his words surprising her.

"You did not defeat me," he shook his head as he laughed mockingly at her. "I simply allowed you to take the child back."

"But I—"

"Said the right words?" he finished her thought for her before allowing his eyes to trail down the white dress she wore, taking in the sight of her looking just as she did the day she had wished her brother away. "I am an immortal of the Underground, Prince of the Fae, and King of the Goblins," he declared as he closed the gap between them in two strides. Sarah unknowingly took a step back as he towered over her, suddenly feeling like a mouse caught in the cat's trap. "Did you honestly believe that a few simple words from a book written by a mortal was enough to defeat me?"

Sarah remained silent as she lowered her gaze. She had been a child at the time and had truly believed that she had won. As the years had passed and she was able to stop and think about the events that had transpired, she had admitted that it had been too easy—the goblin's attacking them had been almost laughable as they ran around her, the castle empty enough for her to find the throne room, her ability to find Jareth and watch him disappear from her life for good as the bell tolled thirteen. Looking back up at the king, she realized that it had all been too good to be true.

He watched the girl as she thought his words over, a sad look on her face. Knowing he had caught her attention, he continued, "You knew I was watching you—admit it."

"What?" Sarah's eyes widened as her head snapped up. She would never admit it to him, but she knew it to be true—she had always felt as though someone was watching her: a flash of blond hair, the shape of one of his perfect crystals, his deep laugh, the wing of an owl. _No, _she admitted to herself. Not just someone… it was always him.

"I do believe you may have spotted me just yesterday at your enchanting wedding."

"So that was you," Sarah nodded her head, thinking back to just the day before; it had only been yesterday and yet it felt so out of place in her life. She looked up at the Goblin King as she admitted the truth to him. It was strange, she felt. Looking back, yesterday felt to be so odd, so out of place in the life of Sarah Williams. Her wedding day, the day meant to define her life as one of the most memorable had felt so wrong. As she stood in the room filled with stairs, glaring up at the King of the Goblins, she realized that for some strange reason (despite the absurdity of the situation), this felt right… this fit perfectly into her life. Looking up at his cocky grin, however, Sarah swore never to admit this aloud.

"Did you enjoy your wedding day?" He smirked as he turned away from her, taking several steps forward to offer a safe distance between them.

"Why have you been spying on me all this time?" Sarah asked, closing her eyes before taking a step forward.

"Isn't it obvious?" He turned slowly to meet her wide eyed gaze.

"No," Sarah shook her head. "Why not bother the other girls who wish their brothers away?"

"Because, my dear Sarah," he moved to stand before her again, "you were the last of them."

"What?" Sarah furrowed her brow.

"I have had so much time on my hands, you see," he stopped to hold his gloved hands out before him, picking imaginary dust from them, "that I had nothing better to do with my time. You had seemed so willing to enter my Labyrinth, I felt perhaps you lived the rest of your life with as much…" he paused to search for the proper word. "Ferocity." He looked down at her as she lowered her eyes. "I must say I was quite disappointed."

Sarah closed her eyes. She knew why he would be disappointed. After her journey through the Labyrinth, she had changed. Somehow, she had left her childhood behind her within the walls of the winding maze. She had entered its gates a child and returned home a young woman. She looked after and watched out for Toby as he learned to walk and run and talk. She had reached out to Karen and her father in hopes of creating a family despite her past actions. She had gone through the everyday routine of attending high school and then university. Her life had been mundane. Safe and normal… but mundane nonetheless. The only aspect of her life that had offered up any change had been the arrival of John in her life. But now…

"I ask you again," the Goblin King's voice broke through her thoughts, "how is your dear husband?"

"Leave John out of this," Sarah glared at him, threatening.

"Charming young man if I do say so myself," he continued on, ignoring Sarah's warning.

"You would know," Sarah spat as she thought back to the sight of John with her cousin, hidden in the shadows of the hedge maze.

The king _tsked _as he turned to look down at her. "Such harsh words coming from a prisoner."

"A prisoner?" Sarah's eyes grew wide at the sound of the word.

"You are right," Jareth stopped and laughed a humorless laugh, "'prisoner' is such a dirty word. Spoils of war?" he offered her instead.

She scoffed at the idea that she would be some prize for the Goblin King. "Are we at war now?" She lifted her brow, suspicious of everything he said to her.

"Indeed, my dear Sarah," he nodded his head, his blond hair falling into his face. "Indeed we are."

"I'm not staying here," Sarah declared as she moved to brush past him.

He reached out and caught her arm, pulling her back to him. "And where exactly will you go? Back to your faithless husband?"

"Better with him than you," Sarah spat as she tried to pull free of his grip.

"Oh come, come, now Sarah," he sighed. "Am I really all that bad?"

Sarah stopped in her struggle for a moment and lifted her gaze to meet his. She allowed herself a moment before she nodded her head and answered him, "Yes. I think you are."

The two enemies stood before one another, neither willing to admit defeat and break eye contact.

"You cannot run from your destiny, Sarah."

She hated the way he said her name, as though it was the most precious thing in the world to him—like a prayer or a wish or a dream in one of his crystals. A shiver ran through her as she whispered:

"What can you possibly know about my destiny?"

He leaned in close, their foreheads almost touching, as he breathed, "Everything."

Panic began to rise up in Sarah as she pushed away from the king. She knew he had let her go—she would not have been able to pull away on her own. She spun around on her heel and ran up one of the flight of stairs, recalling that an entrance to the throne room was somewhere up there.

She chanced a glance behind her to find that Jareth no longer stood beneath her; he had vanished… though somehow she knew that he was not following her.

"It can't be true," Sarah huffed as she ran up the stairs, turning this way and that. She had beaten him, fair and square. The deal was that if she had made it to the center of the Labyrinth, she could have Toby back and she had done just that. She had won and the Goblin King had silently slipped out of her life. Hadn't he?

She sighed in relief as she found the doorway leading to the throne room. Running down the steps and through the—thankfully—empty room, Sarah tried to trace her way back to the privacy of her room.

"No," she shook her head, trying to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes. It was most definitely not her room. She was not staying here. She had finally accepted the fact that the Labyrinth, the Underground, Hoggle, everyone… even the Goblin King, himself were gone from her life. Just as she had accepted that truth, the world she had created for herself, safe from the goblins that had once plagued her life had decided to rip apart everything that she had known and everything that she had worked so hard for. She had offered them the chance to be a part of her life the night she had beaten the Labyrinth. She had offered but they had stopped coming for years now…

Sarah stopped in her determined march, realizing that her feet had led her directly to—no! not her room—the room she had woken up in that morning. She smiled, pleased to see that her feet were still loyal to her—they had led her through the Labyrinth once before and they could do it again.

Her eyes widened as the thought crossed her mind. Looking behind her shoulder quickly, Sarah threw the door open and slipped inside before anyone appeared in the hall.

_That's it, _she thought to herself as she ripped the white faerie tale dress from her body. _I've got to get out of here. _

She ran over to the wardrobe that towered over the rest of the room and began to dig through the walls of fabric hoping to find something practical among the elaborate ball gowns. She ripped the dresses from where they hung and cast them to the floor beneath her feet, all the while her heart pounding, just waiting for the king to burst into her room and find her attempting to escape.

With a pile of fine gowns practically burying her, she found a pair of black trousers most likely meant to be used when riding a horse and a silk button down blouse with billowing sleeves and a plunging neckline.

Sarah shook her heard at the less than practical escape ware before slipping her legs into the pants and pulling the shirt over her head. Slipping her black slippers back on her feet, Sarah took one look out the window to see the sun setting in the distance before opening the door and slipping out into the hall.

Her feet quietly padded along the stone halls. Her wanderings from earlier that day had offered her a basic set up of the castle. She knew that if she could get back to the throne room, she would be able to retrace her steps from ten years ago and find the entrance with ease.

It must have been later than she realized because the halls were silent, not a goblin in sight as Sarah tip toed past the doorway leading to the throne room, scurrying down the steps.

As she rounded the corner leading to the foyer, she skidded to a stop, slipping in her tracks. Standing guard at the door was a goblin. Sarah couldn't help but gawk for a moment before allowing an attempt at a laugh to escape from her. If she had not been in the Goblin King's castle at the center of the Labyrinth, apparently a prisoner whisked away after her wedding day, she might have found the tiny goblin barring her way to be humorous. But not today.

Stomping around the corner, Sarah glared down at the little beast that had begun to shake as he recognized her. Sarah looked down at the little fur ball who had refused to move aside, despite the fear he clearly felt.

"Gleck, isn't it?" she asked of the little goblin; this was the third time she had seen him that day. Strange how, long ago, all the goblins appeared to have looked the same to her. Perhaps it was because she was in their domain now or simply that she was no longer afraid of them or what they might do. "Do you mind?" she asked of the creature, glancing up to the door.

The goblin growled up at her through his trembling.

Sarah sighed. She didn't want to start a riot in the middle of the castle just so Jareth could appear and drag her back upstairs.

Moving quicker than the dim witted goblin could comprehend, Sarah knelt down, lifted Gleck into her arms, ran up the stairs and tossed him down.

"Sorry," she mouthed to him as she spun around and ran, knowing full well that she would be able to beat him down the stairs.

She reached the doors and pulled on them with all her might, wishing that Ludo was there to help her open them, their weight almost being too much for her. She had managed to open them just enough for her to slip through as she held her breath.

She sped down the stairs and into the narrow alleyways of the Goblin City. The last time she had passed through, she had been running for her life and had ran in so many different directions she had lost her way. She moved slowly this time, traveling along the shadows of the houses and stores.

After getting lost only twice, Sarah found herself staring at the gates of the Goblin City. She paused for a moment, looking back up at the castle that loomed over her.

"So long, Goblin King," she whispered softly, waving her hand before turning to slip through the door.

A pair of mismatched eyes watched from his window as the raven haired girl slipped through the gates of the Goblin City and into the Labyrinth as the day turned into the dark of the dangerous night.

* * *

Greetings readers and reviewers! So I had originally intended for this to be a very short story/ one shot. However, within less than 24 hours of posting the first chapter, I was getting messages from people asking me to continue on in the story. Against my better judgment (I'm in the middle of finishing the manuscript for the final book in my series) I've decided to continue on in the story.

* * *

**Now be warned**: I have a bad track record of starting stories and not finishing them (hence why I have mostly one shots here on ). So if you like what you read and I haven't updated recently, drop me a line, review, bombard me, threaten me with goblins, chickens, or the bog, and that will wake me up and get me writing again. Plus I just love hearing that people are actually reading what I spend hours writing (don't we all?).

Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter and encouraged me to keep going. After 15 years of loving Labyrinth with all my heart, I am finally writing my very first fan fic for it.

**Let the adventure begin!**


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